“Now we need to tell the world, including mainland China, that Hong Kong is a safe city,” the financial secretary told reporters shortly after WHO withdrew its travel advisory against Hong Kong.

Businessmen hailed WHO’s decision to drop the warning against visiting the city. “At least business travellers will come back”, said Cheung Hon-yiu. “Last night, it took me about four hours to get a customer at the airport”.

The government said on Saturday it had halted temporarily the import of civet meat, locally consumed, a day after a top Hong Kong scientist said there was a possibility that the SARS virus had jumped to humans from the cat-like animal.

Civet cats belong to a large group of mammals that are active at night and includes the mongoose. Most civets resemble cats and have long tails and faces with thin, sharp features.

SARS virus could have jumped from civet cats to humans

WHO also withdrew its travel warning on the southern Chinese province of Guangdong, saying outbreaks of SARS there, were under control.